Transmission Integration

The goal of NREL's transmission integration research is to tackle the challenges of
integrating renewables and other technologies into the bulk-power system while maintaining
safe, efficient, and cost-effective grids.

NREL works with electric utilities, energy policymakers, and other industry partners
to integrate large-scale renewable energy into the transmission system. Researchers
study transmission and grid integration issues and provide data, analysis, and models
to enable the electric power system to more efficiently manage the variability of
renewables such as solar and wind power.

Wind and solar energy offer environmental benefits, low operating costs, and reduced
dependence on foreign fuel. However, wind and solar generation vary with wind speed
and solar insolation. This variability affects how transmission systems with high
penetrations of renewable energy sources operate. NREL researchers are identifying
these effects and finding solutions to address them to enable transmission grid integration.

Capabilities

Power systems simulation – Expertise in large grid integration studies, such as production
cost and dynamic modeling and simulation of large power systems

Transmission system planning – Expertise in the planning of transmission-level power
systems

Transmission and distribution system co-simulation – Expertise in the co-simulation
of combined transmission and distribution systems to gauge the impact of distributed
energy resources on the bulk system and how bulk system operations impact distributed
energy resources